1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of fiber finishes, and more particularly, to fiber lubricants containing an antioxidant which reduces the generation of visible smoke at elevated temperatures.
Fiber lubricants are commonly used as a fiber finish. When so employed, fiber lubricants must protect newly spun fibers from fusion or breakage by controlling the yarn-to-metal friction between the yarn and machine guides, rollers, draw plates, beater plates and texturing twist spindles or friction disks. The lubricant also provides for yarn cohesion thus strengthening the yarn by holding the yarn bundle together and allowing the yarn to build up to a suitable bundle at the end of processing. Static electricity that would normally be formed as the yarn moves rapidly through processing equipment is also controlled to a great extent. In addition, the lubricant protects equipment surfaces from wear and tear. Further, since the yarn or fiber is exposed to subsequent heat treatment at elevated temperatures, the lubricant must be thermally stable.
Thus, the afore-mentioned properties of the fiber lubricant are desirably not lost when the lubricated fiber is exposed to elevated temperatures such as about 200.degree. C., i.e., through degradation or volatilization of the lubricant. Prior art lubricants applied to synthetic textile fibers generally suffer from the deficiency that at temperatures above 170.degree. C. they generate smoke indicating volatilization or form a tarry residue. Such tarry residue may likely deposit on heated metal surfaces thus contaminating the processing equipment and/or the fiber. In addition, when smoke is generated excessively, such results in health and safety hazards.